Methods of manufacturing a transducer

Abstract

A transducer having an external contact surface includes a writer and a contact member. The writer has a portion extendable relative to an adjacent portion of the external contact surface. The contact member surrounds at least a portion of the extendable writer portion and is spaced from the extendable writer portion. The coefficient of thermal expansion of the contact member is approximately equal to the coefficient of thermal expansion of the extendable writer portion.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of manufacturing a transducer comprising:
 burnishing a thermally protruded writer and a thermally protruded contact feature to a substantially planar state, wherein the burnished contact feature has a larger external surface area than the burnished writer. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 burnishing a protective material located between the thermally protruded writer and the thermally protruded contact feature to the substantially planar state of the thermally protruded writer and the thermally protruded contact feature. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 applying a protective film over the burnished writer that reduces corrosion of the burnished writer. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting contact of the burnished writer and the burnished contact feature with a moving storage medium using one or both of a position error signal detection technique and an acoustic emission detection technique. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substantially planar state creates a combined writer and contact feature surface area of sufficient size to indicate contact with a moving storage medium using one or both of a position error signal detection technique and an acoustic emission detection technique. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the burnishing operation is accomplished using contact of the thermally protruded writer and the thermally protruded contact feature with a moving storage medium. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the burnished contact feature surrounds at least a portion of the burnished writer. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the substantially planar state of the burnished writer and the burnished contact feature is at a storage interface surface of the transducer. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the thermally protruded writer has a coefficient of thermal expansion approximately equal to a coefficient of thermal expansion of the thermally protruded contact feature.